In this pageabout why some prisoners who work out are so muscular the claim is made that part of the reason is that their testosterone level will increase due to the dangerous, high threat environment.
Is this a fact? Does being in a high threat environment like prison make men generate more testosterone?
No, it’s a load of bollocks.
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Does being in a high threat environment like prison make men generate more testosterone?
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That is the only part of the statement that is true. Testosterone is a stress hormone. While the relationship isn’t simple, as a general rule increased stress leads to increased testosterone level in young men.
Where it all falls down is the idea that testosterone levels correspond to muscular strength. That just isn’t true. While having abnomrally low levels certainly prevents muscular development, within the normal range there simply isn’t a direct correspondence between testosterone levels and muscle growth. Men with low levels of testosterone are just as likely to respond to training as men with high levels.
Why is it that women can’t put on muscle like men, then? I had always heard it was due to our having less testosterone.
Athletes take steroids because testosterone and it’s artificial compadres promoter muscle growth. It also makes you less likely to emote, and specifically less likely to cry, which might bbe useful in prison. However, it’s not exactly a stress hormone. Certain types of physical stress cause an increase in testosterone, but more prolonged or psychological stresses tend to increase levels of cortisol, a catabolic steroid. Which is why marathoneers are rarely well-built.